HOW 156 NAILS DEFEATED NAPOLEON

It’s a very daring attack. Marshal Michel Ney orders his force of 5,000 French cavalrymen into battle against the British troops on the afternoon of June 18, 1815. As he gives the signal for the charge to commence, Ney shouts: “Vive l'empereur, vive la France!” Speed is of the essence. Before Ney’s troops stands the army of the Duke of Wellington, with infantry and cavalry. But what Ney fears most is the 156 British cannon aimed directly at his horsemen. How many times would they have to fire before they had cleared a path for Wellington’s cavalry to break through? How many times does a butterfly have to flap its wings before the course of history changes? The first salvo of artillery is already crashing into the ground behind the French riders, hurling dirt and grass in all directions. Another salvo, again wide of the mark. Another flap of the wings, and the next salvo scores a direct hit on the line of French cavalry. Dozens of horses and riders fall. But the determined French attack cannot be turned back. With their lances, French riders spear the fleeing artillerymen as the British infantry retreats. The 156 cannon are now in the hands of the French— and could decide the very outcome of the battle. As soon as the French cannoneers can turn the guns around, they will open fire on the British and Prussian troops and turn the tide of the battle. The mere acquisition of the cannon has made it virtually inevitable that Napoleon, who recently returned from exile, will regain his position as the undisputed ruler of Europe. What the French don’t yet know is that a final flap of the butterfly’s wings has already decided their fate…

In an effort to turn the tables in his favor, the Duke of Wellington orders his cavalry to mount a counterattack. He knows that he absolutely must regain control of the cannon, and his infantrymen are already close enough to fire their muskets at the French cannoneers. Marshal Ney sees he can no longer turn the cannon on the Allies, but he can at least prevent them from using the artillery against the French. An order rings out: “Spike the guns!” Normally the French riders would carry headless nails that could be driven into the firing holes of captured cannon to render them useless. Today, however, in the midst of this crucial battle, no one has any. The Allies regain control of the cannon, Ney issues the order to retreat, and in a matter of hours Napoleon has met his Waterloo. Four days later he abdicates for a second time.